The seed would sprout and grow

The seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how.

Imagine how patient and trusting a farmer has to be.   He prepares his field and plants his seeds.   Day after day, he watches, even though nothing seems to happen.   But one morning is different: the field has a faint green haze.   The seeds have sprouted, and the crop is growing.

It’s not a bad image for what bishops and parish priests do.   To the best of their abilities, they plant good seeds and trust God to take care of the rest.   We see this principle in action in our readings as we celebrate Sts. Timothy and Titus today.

First, we see it in the way Paul related to both of these men.   They were his coworkers and spiritual sons.   They traveled with him, and he sent them to lead newly established churches: Timothy in Ephesus and Titus in Crete.   Paul knew that Timothy might face challenges like idolatry and false doctrine in Ephesus.   He knew that Titus might confront pastoral difficulties in Crete.   But he also knew that he had sown the “good seed” of the gospel in the churches, and so he was confident that God would help them meet any challenge they faced.   So he entrusted them with responsibility and went on with his mission.

Next, we see how Timothy and Titus took Paul’s advice on how to care for their churches.   Over and over, Paul reminded them to do what he had done: plant good seed.   Be clear on the gospel message and present it to their people as simply as possible.   The fact that the churches in Ephesus and Crete continued to grow in spite of threats and difficulties attests to these men’s success.

We may not be pastors, but many of us have children or grandchildren or students or spiritual charges that we care about.   We love them and want to see their relationship with God grow and blossom.   We can learn from the example of the farmer in today’s parable—and from Paul and Timothy and Titus.   Plant good seed and trust God.   It can be as simple as taking your children to the Stations of the Cross during Lent or talking about the homily on your way home from Mass.   Whatever you do, trust that God will help your whole family to grow and bear fruit.

word among us